Tag: Hunter S. Thompson

Visions of the Unexcused 2nd show on WEMF Radio finds Mint Pillow gaining confidence with live radio while becoming more apt to consciously experiment. The set starts with three favorite Boston bands – then weaves through decades, as each cousin related track blends styles & watermarks. The set climaxes during an elctro-jazz-fuzed moment where Pillow mixes in his favorite poem, “The Genius Of The Crowd” – by Charles Bukowski – then ends with an Iron Elbows track, which is Mr. Mint and his best friend, Zac Trainor, making noise together, something they do pretty darn well together.

Forty three years ago a relatively unknown 33 year old writer was commissioned to write a piece on his native States grandest event, The Kentucky Derby. The final result was The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved one of Hunter S. Thompson’s most brilliant pieces. Pushed to the brink of a deadline with no linear story in hand, Thompson began tearing pages from his foggy notebook and the result was a gorgeously grotesque recalling of a glorified event done only in a way Hunter would dare. Thompson eloquently described the story as “falling down an elevator shaft and landing in a pool of mermaids” – and thus began Gonzo Journalism and the creation Dr. Gonzo, an alter ego that would eventually take over Hunter completely.

Freak Power & The Gonzo Way.

This assignment was also the first time Thompson and his trusted illustrator and partner, Ralph Steadman, met and worked with each other, beginning a weird journey that would continue until the Day Football Season ended. Hunter is a huge hero of mine, no matter how cliché that may seem, and I read The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved every year on its anniversary to remember him by. Since his death Hunter has been co-opted by everyone from drug culture, hippies, hipsters, weirdos, and perpetual 20-somethings – and it’s a goddamn shame. His writing and prose is often an after thought when speaking on his legacy, and he’s too often remembered as Johnny Depp riding through the desert.

Hunter’s been away from this world for 8 long years now and his voice is missed more than ever. Imagine his commentary on the all things from Drones, Smart Phones, The Arab Spring, and the last two Elections. All things must pass I guess, a damn shame though, I can almost hear him pontificating on these savage things…almost.

So on this weekend I raise a toast to Hunter, Gonzo, and the Depraved that still trudge this Earth. Huzzah. Selah. And all that. Rest Easy Good Doctor.

“Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men’s reality. Weird heroes and mold-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of ‘the rat race’ is not yet final.”
-Hunter S. Thompson

To commemorate the first fifty episodes I’ve created a master mix containing songs played in podcasts over the past six years. It was a trip to dive down memory lane like this, and it was a fun challenge. There’s 51 tracks for the 51st Episode, which is a mosaic of where the Unexcused have been, and where they’re going. If someone asked me the type of music I listened to, I’d play them this mix. Here’s to Visions.

I found myself unexpectedly going to my roots in this episode – for reasons I still can’t discern. Growing up – like most adolescent American males, there was a period of my life where, for lack of a better word, punk rock ruled the universe. This podcast is meant to reflect that great angst fueled time. You’ll hear songs from the 70’s – 80’s – 90’s – & 00’s – and hopefully you can see why they’re all part of the same family tree.